Over the few years, I’ve been wrestling with the characteristics common to all spiritual movements. I’ve grown committed to two critical elements–transforming discipleship and multiplying leadership. In an old article by Dallas Willard, he talked of how disciples see Jesus as “their teacher.” Early Christians saw Jesus, Willard argues, as the One in whom “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).
They thought of Him as master of every domain of life…so they learned to do everything “in word or deed, in the name of the Lord Jesus.” He was their always present teacher. They were his “disciples”–a word that means “learner.”
Willard suggest three ways in which we can help our disciples learn from Jesus:
First, we need to help our disciples learn from Jesus the reason why they live and why they do the things they do. Jesus teaches that our disciples exist as unceasing spiritual beings with an eternal destiny in God’s great universe. In other words, they are not here just to choose a job, a spouse, or a house. God has chosen them to take up his cause, his “yoke” (Matt. 11:29).
Jesus wants to teach them how to make every choice they make with an aim toward glorifying God and doing good to human beings. Jesus wants them to live the most exhilarating kind of life imaginable, where their personal creativity never stops increasing.
Second, we need to help our disciples learn from Jesus how to have a new internal character. Jesus teaches that a good heart is what God intends for us and what He makes possible. Jesus wants to replace the boiling pot of human evil in us with genuine compassion, purity and good will.
He does this first by reminding our disciples of their place and future in God’s eternal purposes.
He then invites them to follow Him into a set of practices such as solitude, silence, study, service, and worship. In these practices, our flesh increasingly comes to the side of our spirit in service to God.
Third, we need to help our disciples learn from Jesus that He is positively involved and interacting in the concrete occasions of our day to day activities.
Jesus teaches that the hand of God is moving in all our circumstances. Our disciples must learn to expect it, watch for it, and give thanks as they see it.